In the Global Fight Against Malaria WHO turns on Gates Foundation?

The deadliest animal on the planet is the irritating little mosquito, responsible for over 1 million deaths annually. Dr. Regina Rabinovich has dedicated her life to solving the problem of malaria, haunted by the specter of 3 deaths of children per minute or 3,000 deaths daily due to the disease.

I guess that's why the Gates Foundation hired her as Director of Infectious Disease in 2003, making malaria and the search for a vaccine of this complex virus a priority. Dr. Rabinovich is a pediatrician and epidemiologist and the recipient of a 1993 NIH merit award for her outstanding contribution to the NIH vaccine research program. In 2002, she argued that Africa was made poor by malaria and that infectious diseases were costing the continent billions of dollars per year. Research from the Wellcome Trust supported her assertions that more money must be spent on the search for a vaccine against malaria, not just treatment of the disease.

The Gates Foundation launched the Malaria Vaccine Initiative in 1999 with a $50 million grant. Today, Dr. Rabinovich commands a budget of $1 billion. The Gates Foundation has put $1.2 billion into malaria interventions since 2000, ramping up the attention the disease had been receiving. Enter Dr. Arata Kochi, Japanese physician and public health specialist, appointed Director of the WHO Global Malaria Programme in 2006. Forced out of his previous position as head of WHO's Stop TB Programme because he alienated donors and partners,
Dr. Kochi is complaining that Dr. Rabinovich and the Gates Foundation have created a malaria "cartel". Health policy expert Professor Amir Attaran of University of Ottawa has weighed in, calling Dr. Regina Rabinovich "autocratic".

For some reason this reminds me that one of the things that bothered the Royal Family about Princess Diana was that she worked with HIV/AIDS and leprosy patients. The Queen admonished her to "do something more pleasant". Back in the '80's, when the disease was new and people still thought it could be contracted by casual contact, the Princess sat with AIDS victims and held their hands. That simple act helped change perceptions about AIDS, but it cost Diana personally.

I am grateful to the Gates Foundation and the work they do for global health. If it takes an "autocratic" (translation - strong) person of whatever gender to get the issue of malaria solved, then so be it. Let's support her. Let's thank her. Let's respect her for the years of her life she has dedicated to trying to save lives. As Senator Obama said last night, "...if it was easy, it would already have been done...".

Thanks Pandiyan, for use of photo The Most Dangerous Killer in the World.

Labels: Attaran, global health, Kochi, malaria, Princess Diana, Rabinovich

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Give the Gift of Life from Malaria No More

Honor the special people in your life with a gift of life in their name from Malaria No More. Earlier this year, American Idol fans raised $15 million for bed nets during the Idol Gives Back special. The Gates Malaria Foundation set the goal of 0 deaths and 0 infections in an October forum this year. They have also pledged $30 million for vaccine research.

Malaria is a preventable blood disease, transmitted by mosquitoes. It kills one child in Africa every 30 seconds. It is the single leading cause of death of children under age 5 in Africa. It is preventable and treatable. Together, we have helped. Let's reach out again this holiday season, and help another million children...










Thank you to Malaria No More and UNICEF/SUDAN/NOORANI 2006 for use of the photo of a Sudanese woman lies with her infant on a bed in a nutrition centre run by the international NGO Action contre la faim, in the Abu Shouk camp for displaced people, near El Fasher, capital of North Darfur State. A mosquito net is tied above the bed. UNICEF supports the centre's supplemental and therapeutic feeding programmes for malnourished children.

Labels: Africa aide, bed nets, malaria

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American Idol Gives Back: Raising Money and Awareness to End Malaria Deaths in Africa

Who knew? Ryan Seacrest Holds the Solution: A $10 Bed Net Saves Lives. Like millions of others around the world, my teenager and I have gotten hooked on American Idol. This week the hit produced a two program special called "Idol Gives Back" which raised money through donations to the Charity Projects Entertainment Fund (CPEF), a registered US charity. Every time a viewer called in to vote for their favorite singing contestant, sponsors (Allstate, ConAgra Foods, ExxonMobil, Ford, CocaCola and AT&T) made donations to CPEF.

Malaria No More is one of the charities that will receive some of the money raised. April 25, 2007 is Malaria Awareness Day, marking the seventh anniversary of African leaders from 44 countries participating in a summit to end this devastating disease. Malaria is a parasitic disease transmitted by mosquitoes. Africa is a continent that has been decimated by this preventable, treatable illness. Malaria has been controlled and eliminated in much of Asia, Europe and the Americas, but in Africa, the number of cases has increased. No one in the US gets malaria, yet it is the single leading cause of death for children under 5 in Africa.

Insecticide treated bed nets for families to sleep under cost as little as a $10 donation .
It is wonderful to see Fox TV bringing this urgent global health issue into our living rooms. Let's help make a difference.

For more on Malaria go to:
http://www.malarianomore.org/press.php#mnews

Thank you Gary Moyes/Comic Relief Ltd for use of photo Seacrest distributing malaria bed net to mother and child.

Labels: africa, american idol, global health, malaria, ryan seacrest

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